AV Consulting Business

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Source: PRO AV Magazine Publication date: September 1, 2006

By Tim Cape, CTS-D

The AV consulting business grew out of the acoustical consulting industry and the fledgling AV electronics industry of the '70s and '80s. There were no models to go by — we just went out, designed systems, and got paid for it any way we could. Many consultants realized early on what it took to design a complete AV system (although others didn't). We had to find out what the users wanted and turn that into an electronic system design. Not only that, we had to work with the facility design. Besides the electronic systems, there were acoustics, lighting, electrical, mechanical, interiors, and even structural designs to be developed and coordinated — all driven by AV.

To get these jobs, consultants have to determine a scope of services, which means determining what there is to do, and estimating the hours it will take to do it. And it's not just design tasks. There are project management tasks, meetings upon meetings, and then the monitoring of building construction and AV system assembly and installation. And don't forget system checkout and user training. If we can figure all of that out, we then have to tell the architect and owner what it's going to cost, followed by the inevitable gasp of disbelief.

Whether it is outsourcing your payroll needs, or finding better tactics to make the job easier, payroll is something every business needs to deal with. Your employees will need a paycheck that comes in every week, and without any errors. Finding the right help or better process to do so will make your whole business run more smoothly.